IoT insights can be shared with customers and suppliers to more effectively manage inventory and plan future orders

Munich, August 09, 2016
– Fujitsu today announced that US-based Baker Hill Industries Inc., a leading supplier of precision machined components to the aerospace, defense, medical and commercial industries, is adding powerful Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to its manufacturing processes through GlobeRanger ¹.

By adopting Fujitsu’s advanced, holistic workflow planning and tracking system, Baker Hill will gain valuable real-time insights into its processes and will be able to pinpoint the exact location of all components at any given moment as they progress through its manufacturing facility.

Baker Hill has chosen GlobeRanger technology as it looks for improvements and increased efficiencies in its end-to-end manufacturing process - from initial order through to shipping finished components. Since Baker Hill is manufacturing high-precision components for highly complex products such as jet and rocket engines, the company also expects to extend the availability of real-time tracking information to its customers, who typically require on-time delivery of parts as they coordinate orders from multiple suppliers.

Recognizing that several years of significant development and the growth in the number of parts it processes have surpassed its manual tracking ability, Baker Hill turned to Fujitsu to deploy its GlobeRanger Manufacturing IoT solution. Baker Hill’s objective was to take human error out of the equation by deploying an automated system that provides hard data at the click of a button. The GlobeRanger iMotion platform draws data from a wide range of sources throughout the production process to provide new insights into customer operations – enabling improved short, medium and long-term planning based on more reliable data. As a consequence, customers can benefit from rapid return on investment and focus engineering efforts accordingly.

The GlobeRanger solution provides Baker Hill with more granular insights into its entire production process, delivering information that was previously unavailable. Each production station at its facility in Coral Springs, Florida, USA, features a visual display showing its performance status, with red, yellow and green lights that clearly illustrate whether or not an operation is performing to expectations. This means that any issues can be identified immediately and a remedy can be found rapidly, without affecting completion times.

Nabil Lodey, Head of GlobeRanger, stated: “Companies like Baker Hill are realizing how powerful it can be to have real-time data from all stages of the manufacturing process at their fingertips. Potential issues are identified and rectified before they become a problem, and the valuable business data means that the management team can manage assets effectively for profitable and steady growth. Having this level of visibility over the whole production process supports organizations with their digital transformation.”

Matthew Ricci, President at Baker Hill Industries Inc., says: “We typically have multiple status calls with customers every week. By giving them access to the same tracking information that we use, they will have up-to-the-minute information about the progression of their products through the manufacturing process. As we send some parts for processing externally, we’ll be able to track them with our suppliers too. We will be able to monitor the lead times and compare them against what was quoted. This will assist us in refining our own timelines as agreed with our customers.”

Pricing and availability

GlobeRanger’s IoT solutions are available directly from Fujitsu in the Americas, Oceania and EMEIA regions. Pricing varies according to configuration.

Notes to editors

1 GlobeRanger is a leading global provider of end-to-end enterprise edge solutions including RFID, mobility, and sensor-based solutions and professional services. Its innovative Edgeware™ platform, iMotion™, provides the critical infrastructure layer for managing devices, networks, data and processes at the edge of the enterprise, enabling real-time visibility and response. iMotion serves as the foundation for GlobeRanger and its partners to rapidly develop, deploy and manage edge solutions. Founded in 1999, the company was acquired by Fujitsu in May 2014. GlobeRanger is based in Richardson, Texas.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 156,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.7 trillion yen (US$41 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu EMEIA

Fujitsu enables customers to capitalize on digital opportunities with confidence, by helping them to balance robust ICT and digital innovation. Fujitsu’s full portfolio of products, solutions and services gives its customers a competitive advantage in the era of digital transformation. In Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) the company employs more than 26,000 people. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com/fts/about/

All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.